


Foundation for Jealousy

by orphan_account



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-04-05 15:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4184361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Reid was the one Angel Suarez latched on to? What if Angel had a crush on Reid? How does Reid deal with this, and how does this situation make Hotch feel? </p><p>This situation paves the way for a lot of confusion, and maybe even love between Hotch and Reid. </p><p>Will these profilers find something special together, or just continue to battle their demons alone? </p><p>(Angel isn't in the whole story, just the beginning.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first CM fic, but I adore Hotch/Reid and this episode gave me major inspiration. I don't know how long this will be, but it will be chaptered. Also the whole story won't revolve around Angel or this episode, I just thought it was a cute start.

"Hi, hi, hi.  
Sorry for the cryptic late-night text, but I promised I'd fill you in on the way here, and I am a girl who keeps her promises, so, this boy was found two hours ago in the middle of nowhere.  
Technically he was found outside of Crockett, Arizona.  
My point is, he has clearly been to super hell and escaped some sort of captivity." Garcia rambled as we entered the jet and sat down 

"How do we know he wasn't just dropped off there?" Morgan asked gruffly, clearly not liking being pulled away from whatever, or whoever, he was doing. 

"Well, he has fresh cuts on the bottom of his feet from the local cactus fields, and that's away from any through roads.  
And his skin is rubbed raw around his ankles from chains." You could hear the sadness in her voice, and Morgans eyebrows shot up. 

"He must've had a chance to escape and he took it"

"Or the unsub could have had him in transit." Prentiss quickly contributed. 

"My God, you guys, look at his eyes." Garcia's voice was laced with emotion, and JJ shook her head. 

"Yeah, he's jaundiced. Probably hasn't seen daylight in a while." She looked down, and you could see that she was thinking of her own son being hurt like this. 

"Yeah, and there's a lot of scars here." Morgan was clearly getting upset, he sounded pained. 

"And those are the ones we can see." Rossi said with a knowing look, and everyone looked down in unison. Who knew what had happened to this boy? He was clearly so beaten you couldn't even tell how old he was. As if reading my mind, Prentiss spoke up. 

"It's hard to tell for certain, but he's maybe 13." JJ's jaw set and she looked away, and one look at Hotch showed me the same behavior. 'Must be a parent thing' I thought to myself. 

"Are there any missing children in the area, Garcia?" I finally asked, trying to find out just why exactly we were being called in. 

"None until now, but, sir, you may have more information than I do." She said looking at Hotch. 

" I do. Earlier tonight another boy was reported missing in Flagstaff." He grimaced. 

"That's not that far, it can't be a coincidence." Rossi said, and raised his brow at Hotch. 

"Technically it could, but Arizona has the lowest abduction rate in the country, so the chances of these cases not being related are ridiculously slim." I fired back before I could even process it, giving Hotch a sheepish look when Garcia continued on. 

"Yeah. That's why child abduction rapid deployment will meet you on the ground."

"The Flagstaff abduction is Billy Henderson, 13.  
His parents say he was coming back from a friend's house after dinner.  
He never made it." Hotch said and sat down by JJ, still staring at his case file. 

"Ok, they set up roadblocks, but the unsub has a head start." Garcia said dully, making JJ's look darken. 

"Right now our best chance of finding Billy Henderson is to figure out what the first victim knows." Morgan sat forward and looked at Hotch. 

"Exactly. So, Morgan, you and JJ go to the hospital, see if you can get through to him. Oh, and take Reid, too.  
The rest of us will set up at the police station.  
Losing his victim has likely enraged the unsub.  
No telling what he'll do to Billy." Hotch grimaced, and everybody nodded. Why did he want Morgan to take me with?

\-----------------------

"You can't examine the scars?" Morgan asked as we walked through the crowded hospital halls, I grimaced as I took in my surroundings. I hate hospitals, they smell like sterilizer and they're too cold, and too crowded. 

"I can't get close enough.  
He has the most severe case of C.E.R. I've ever seen. Conditioned emotional response. I've only seen it in vets." The doctor sighs, which makes JJ close her eyes briefly. 

"That's worse than PTSD." She mutters, and shakes her head. 

"He had an adrenaline rush when he escaped, but coming down from that will be just as extreme." The doctor says, and I bite my tongue from explaining the specifics. 

"And I'm sure he's sensitive to light and sound." Morgan half states, half asks. 

"Incredibly. We're keeping it as quiet and dark as possible." Morgan and JJ nod at the doctor. 

"It's probably what he's used to." JJ says sadly, and Morgan sighs. 

"He's also been somewhere cramped.  
His legs show signs of advanced arthritis." The doctor reads off his chart, and I open my mouth to speak but before I can JJ asks a question. It's okay though, because it's important. 

"Any idea how old he is?" The doctor sighs and scratches the side of his nose. 

"It's hard to tell. His growth has been stunted. He's got major tooth and skin decay, clearly from a massive vitamin D deficiency." Morgan looks away. 

"Best guess?" JJ prods, and the doctor stops in front of said boys room. 

"Maybe 16." The doctor sighs, smiles at us, and then walks away. Morgan and JJ briefly cover how they're going to talk to the boy, and I try not to take it personally as Morgan politely tells me to just "Stand there and look smart, pretty boy."

We enter the dark room and immediately notice the boy huddled under the small table in the far right corner of the room. They step towards him and I awkwardly trail behind. The bend down to sit by him, and I stay standing a few feet behind them. 

"My name's Derek. I'm one of the good guys, and this is my friend."

"I'm Jennifer." JJ smiles sadly at the scared look on his face. He looks up and when he spots me, he looks puzzled. He very subtly points at me, and Morgan laughs as JJ cracks a smile. 

"Come on Spence, sit down with us." JJ turns to me and flashes a dazzling smile, and for a moment it's easy to forget that she's not about to cry as her maternal instincts flood her with pain as she looks at this terribly beaten boy. I nod and carefully step forward and sit down by them, looking up at the boy. 

"I'm, uh, Doctor Spencer Reid. But you don't have to call me Doctor, or Spencer, or Reid. You don't have to call me anything. I, uh-" Morgan cut me off before I could continue rambling. 

"Cool it, pretty boy. We're trying to talk to him, not scare him." I looked down, slightly embarrassed. 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" He silenced me once again, this time with his hand like an impatient mother. 

"Not now, reid." I nodded, understanding that I was only gonna mess things up. Morgan started talking about food, and JJ went to hand the boy a water bottle, but his eyes grew wide and he knocked it away. She looked down, clearly feeling guilty for scaring him. 

"JJ, this is years of conditioning.  
Have Garcia go back to 2000 for missing kids." Morgan sighed, and JJ nodded and left the room to make the call. Morgan and I sat there in silence. He was watching the boy straight on, while I was watching from my peripheral. I knew what it's like to feel like everyone's staring at, because you're a freak, because they pity you. I didn't want him to feel that way. 

I subconsciously started rolling my sobriety coin between my fingers to pass the time, and I noticed the boy watching curiously. I took a deep breath and took a chance, and rolled the coin across the floor to him. He immediately picked it up, and after holding it and studying it for a few moments, he carefully rolled it back. Morgan stared at me in awe, and I just rolled it back to the boy. 

"Reid..." Morgan whispered, but didn't continue. The boy and I just continued to roll the coin to each other, and I heard JJ walk in. 

"Oh wow. Remind me to thank Hotch for telling us to bring Spence." JJ said incredulously. I let a small smile quirk my lips as the boy cautiously crawled out from under the table. He looked at me, and then gently placed the coin on the floor in front of me. I didn't touch it. 

"Did you asked him his name?" JJ asks, and Morgan nods. He had asked earlier, but the boy hadn't responded.

"What about in Spanish?" She questioned. 

"It doesn't matter the language if he won't talk." Morgan sighed, but JJ looked at the boy. 

"Mi nombre es Jennifer. ¿Como te llamas?" JJ paused, "What's your name, sweetheart?" the boy looked at her, and grabbed the coin back. 

"Can I see what you have there?" He showed her the coin.

"Do you like eagles? Yeah, the wings are-- are beautiful, aren't they?" She asked, clearly confused. The boy looked at me, and tapped the wings on the coin once more, and then his back. 

"Your back?" I asked, frowning. He again tapped the coin, and then his back .  
"Wings? Wings on your back." He nodded and my eyes widened. 

"Angel? Is your name Angel?" I asked, and he nodded, giving me a slight smile. He grabbed my hand, placed the coin down, and closed my fingers over it. JJ and Morgan watched in awe, and I gave the kid a small smile. JJ's cell went off and he went to move under the table, clearly startled. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's just her phone. It's alright." I soothed. He nodded, and sat back down. 

"Hey, Hotch. What's up?...yeah, were making a bit of progress. Well, Spence is. The boy's name is Angel...he didn't so much tell us as Reid figured it out. I think he likes Reid...You okay, Hotch?...okay, yeah I'll tell them. See you later." JJ hung up and looked at us. 

"Morgan, Hotch wants you to go down to the station, he wants to fill you in. And Reid, he said to keep up the good work." JJ told us, and Morgan and I nodded. We smiled at the boy and walked outside the room. Morgan said goodbye and left as JJ and I headed to get some coffee. When we walked back in the room we were surprised to see Angel sitting on the bed, facing away from the door. That's when I noticed he was cutting away at his wrist. 

"Stop!" I yelled and ran towards him, coffee forgotten at the door. I reached around him from behind and grabbed the hand doing the damage, fighting against him to get the blade. 

"JJ get a towel!" I shouted and she quickly grabbed one, and pressed it hard against his cut arm. I threw the blade on the table near the bed when I got it out of his hands, and held him to me as he sobbed. I looked at JJ and we shared the same panicked look. 

"Angel, you don't have to do this. We can help you. We'll keep you safe. The guy who did this to you can't hurt you anymore. You're safe." I said to him as I pet his hair. JJ was frantically pressing the call nurse button. Quickly, the nurses were in the room and ushering us out. 

"Are you Spencer Reid? The patient is asking for you both, but he managed to get out your name, sir." One nurse said as she stepped out to us. JJ looked at me with her eyes wide, and guided me back in the room. We walked up to the bed he was laying in and he looked up at us shamefully. He cautiously reached out his hand towards me, and I looked at JJ. She nodded eagerly, so I gently took his hand in mine. He blushed a bit and looked down, and I furrowed my eyebrows. I didn't understand his behavior. Not much later, a nurse came in so she could take Angel to get cleaned up. 

"Oh, wow." JJ whispered when he'd reentered the room. He was free of dirt and dried blood, and you could actually make out his features. Along with all the bruises, cuts, and scars on his body. A defined bite mark on his arm made JJ cringe, and I grimaced. 

"Reid, I think we should take him back to the station with us. He's not safe here. The media coverage is out of control, the unsub has to know he's here." JJ said carefully, and I nodded. She was right, he wasn't safe here. I went to find a nurse to talk out his discharge, and when I came back JJ was helping Angel get on some new shoes. His clothes were tattered, and the nurse had provided some that her son had grown out of. I smiled at him as he looked at me, and JJ stood up. She carefully extended her hand to him and he cautiously took it. They walked over to me and JJ gestured me to take his other one, so I did. 

We all walked hand in hand out of the hospital, and to the SUV. I sat in the back so Angel could sit up front with JJ. I met his nervous eyes in the rear view mirror and gave him a small smile. We pulled into the station after about twenty minutes, and filed out of the car. JJ walked around to out side, and we all walked into the building. Angel stayed close to our sides. 

"You must be the rest of the team." An officer stated as JJ smiled and nodded. 

"Yes. I'm SSA Jennifer Jareau, and this is SSA Doctor Spencer Reid. This, is Angel. We decided he'd be safest here with us." She shook the mans hand, and I have him a small wave. He gave me an odd look, but nodded anyway and pointed us in the direction of the rest of our team. We entered the room and earned smiles from our team, and then confusion as they settled on the boy behind us, who immediately clung to my side at the attention. I put my arm around him protectively and noticed Hotch's look turn hard, which puzzled me. I led Angel to a chair and sat down on one side of him, JJ on the other. 

"This is Angel, you guys. Media coverage on him is crazy right now, so we decided he'd be safer here with us. Angel, these are Supervisory Special Agents David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, and Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. Of course you know Derek." JJ pointed at each of the team who have the boy a soft smile, but when she got to Hotch he just nodded at him and looked back at his files. I frowned slightly and looked down, wondering what had shifted his mood so drastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I'll post the next chapter super soon. Feedback would be great. 
> 
> Also, things might move rather quickly in the next chapter. But I don't want this whole story to be about Angel, he's just there to start some drama, and move things along. 
> 
> Thanks!<3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry this isn't as long as the first chapter, but this felt like the best stopping place for this chapter. 
> 
> It starts off kinda intense! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it(:

"What were you planning on doing with this boy tonight, Reid?" Hotch asked bluntly, and my eyes widened as Angel quickly folded in on himself. 

"What?" I replied, stunned. 

"This boy, what were you planning on doing with him tonight? Clearly you didn't think this through." He slightly snapped, which made Angel flinch and clutch my arm as he buried his face in my shoulder. Hotch visibly tensed. 

"I was planning on him rooming with me, Hotchner." I stated, and the emphasis on his full last name made his harsh look falter for a moment, and he looked sad. As quickly as it came, it was gone. 

"In the room were sharing? With only two beds?" 

"Yes, sir, he can sleep with me." I rolled my eyes as he glared at the boy who blushed and pressed his face further into me. 

"Reid, outside, now." I sighed as I detangled the boy from me and followed Hotch outside of the room, into the open area, with many LEO's. 

"What the hell are you doing, Reid?" Hotch literally growled at me, catching the attention of the officers around us. 

"Hotch what are you-" He cut me off by turning quickly and punching the door.

"Damn it, Reid!" He shouted and I gaped at him, this was so out of character for him.

"Hotch what's wrong?" I asked quietly, aware of the eyes on us. He stalked towards me until my back hit the wall and he slammed his hand down next to my head. I whimpered rather loudly, which was embarrassing, and tears sprung to my eyes, and ran down my face. Id never seen him like this before, and it scared me beyond belief. His eyes softened as he saw how terrified I was. 

"Reid I'm so sor-" He tried but I pushed him away from me and rushed out of the station, aware of all the LEO's watching me cry and run away. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees and gasped, feeling a panic attack coming on. I started hyperventilating and a large hand clasped down on my shoulder. 

"Reid, calm down. Reid, breathe. Spencer, god, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry Spencer. Come here, I'm so sorry. Breathe." Hotch rambled as he pulled me into him and sat on the ground, me practically sprawled in his lap as I tried to breathe. 

"Spencer, look at me. Calm down. Breathe." He rubbed my back and I slowly started to come out of my panic attack, and was reduced to just crying and shaking in Hotch's arms. 

"Do you hate me?" I asked quietly, and he sighed. 

"No, Reid. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me in there. I never wanted to scare you." Hotch said sadly, and just looked away. 

"I would never ever hurt you." He murmured and I looked down quickly. He frowned. 

"You do know I'd never hurt you, right?" I nodded slowly and he tightened his grip on me. 

"Are you ready to go back in?" Hotch gave me a concerned look, and I nodded again.

"Alright, let's go. Dry your eyes." I do as he says and we stand, heading back inside. As we walked in, all eyes were back on us. I blushed and looked down, and Hotch put a comforting hand on my shoulder and guided me into the room where our team had returned. They gave us cautious looks and JJ rushed forward and hugged me tightly. 

"Spence, what's wrong?" She asks me and then turns to Hotch and her look hardens. 

"What did you do?" She asks lowly, and he flinches as he notices everyone's looking at him the same way. 

"It's, uh, no big deal. Hotch didn't do anything I just wasn't feeling too good and he helped me calm down." I told them, and while it was obvious they didn't believe me, they dropped it. Not without giving Hotch dirty looks, though. 

"Reid?" Angel asked quietly from the other side of the room, and I raised an eyebrow quizzically. 

"Is this, um, is this my fault?" He asked awkwardly, and I frowned. 

"No, Angel. This wasn't your fault. It's okay. Hotch and I just need to discuss the plan for tonight." He nodded and looked down. I sighed and rubbed at my temples. Hotch noticed and shifted to whisper in my ear without being detected. 

"Meet me in the break room. I have some of your medicine that you left at my house after the barbecue." I slightly nodded and left the room, heading towards the mentioned area. I was leaning against the counter with my hands on my head, in so much pain I didn't even notice Hotch come in. 

"Here, Reid." He pressed two pills in my hand and filled a cup of water.

"Thanks" I mumbled and took them, sighing at the pain. He put his hand in between my shoulders and I flinched at the touch. He sighed. 

"Reid, I'm so sorry. I honestly don't know what came over me. I wish I could take that all back." Hotch looked me straight in the eyes and I could see it was the truth. 

"It's uh, okay Hotch. It's okay." I muttered and he just sighed. 

"It's not, Reid. Not to bring up the subject again, but what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?" He asked carefully. 

"Well, I was planning on giving him my bed, and uh, sharing with you. If that's okay. We've shared beds before, on cases. I uh, I'm rambling? Why haven't you stopped me?" I laughed sheepishly and he just smiled. 

"That's what you were thinking the while time?" I nodded and he sighed loudly. 

"God, I'm so sorry Reid. And as for your rambling, I don't mind it. I don't think it's right to stop you from talking. Unless I have to, but even then it kills me to do so." Hotch said with a sad smile, and I blushed a bit and looked away. 

"We should probably get back, the team will wonder where we are." I cleared my throat and he nodded, so we walked back to our conference room. I smiled at the sight of Derek talking with Angel. 

"It's getting late and we all need to get some rest. We can't do anything if we're not at our best. Like usual, we have to double up tonight. Emily and JJ, obviously, and Morgan you're with Rossi. Reid and I will take Angel with us. Let's get out of here." Hotch said, his boss persona back. Everyone nodded and I motioned for Angel to come to my side. He complied and I slung my arm around his shoulder. Everyone walked out of the building and got into the SUV. We quickly arrived at our hotel, and got up to our rooms. 

"Alright everyone, we'll meet up for breakfast at 7. Goodnight guys." Hotch smiled and everyone filed into their rooms. 

"Alright, Angel you can sleep in this bed. Do you need anything before bed?" I asked and he shook his head. I nodded and gave Hotch a sheepish look, he smiled. 

"Let me go get changed. You wanna get the bed ready and then you can change?" He asked me and I nodded. He left to change, and I situated the pillows how I like them. He came back shortly and I went and changed, seeing him laying in bed when I returned. I looked over and saw Angel curled up in his bed, sleeping. I crawled in next to Hotch who was only wearing his boxers, which made me feel overdressed in my sweatpants and t-shirt. I tried to lay as close to the edge as possible, to not bother Hotch. 

"Reid, I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to sleep on the edge, you look uncomfortable." He murmured, and I scooted in a bit, getting comfortable. 

"Hotch?" I suddenly remembered something, he raised his eyebrow at me. 

"Earlier, outside, you called me, uh you called me Spencer." Hotch just looked at me, so I continued. 

"You've only ever called me that one other time. It was, um, after..." I trailed off, my hand automatically coming to the inside of my elbow where my scars were. Hotch grimaced at the memory of that night, and my addiction. 

"I just wanted to calm you down. You weren't responding when I used your last name, so I just took a leap I guess. We should sleep, it's late. Do you need anything?" He asked me sweetly and I smiled a bit as I shook my head. 

"I'm good, but thanks. Goodnight, Hotch." 

"Night, Reid." After that, I slipped into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Feedback is a lovely thing! 
> 
> I'm going to start on the next chapter tomorrow. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this so far. 
> 
> Thank you <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huge special thanks to EloquentDossier for being my beta-reader. She helped out quite a bit with this chapter and I'm so grateful.  
> I already love working with you and I can't wait to continue! <3
> 
> Also, thank you to those who've read, commented, and left kudos. I hope you all enjoy this.

I woke up and snuggled closer to the warmth underneath me, mewling at the soft skin below my cheek.

"I pegged you as more of a dog person." A voice chuckled, and the chest I was lying on rumbled. My eyes immediately shot open as I realized I was literally lying on Hotch's chest. I shot up and flung myself away from him—and right off the bed. 

"Ouch." I groaned from my new spot on the floor, and Hotch quickly climbed down next to me and worriedly looked me over. His look turned frantic as he noticed me clutching the side of my head. 

"Reid, are you okay? What happened?" He asked and I whimpered, my head now pounding. 

"I hit my head on the nightstand when I fell." I sighed, and he moved my hands to look. 

"It's a small cut, but I'll get some neosporin and a bandaid." He did, and then quickly started doctoring my wound. His fingers brushed back my hair, and he frowned as he saw a large scar on my hairline.

"Reid, what happened? This had to have came from a pretty intense wound." He asked, concern thick in his voice. 

"Nothing, Hotch. I just fell. I'm clumsy." I cleared my throat, hoping he wouldn't notice that I was nervous. Of course, he did, and I cursed his great profiling skills. He dropped it, though, which was something I appreciated. 

"I can't believe none of this woke up the kid." Hotch chuckled, and I glanced over at Angel who was still sound asleep.

"I'm gonna shower. Can you wake him up?" I asked, and his jaw set but he nodded. I smiled at him and went into the bathroom. I was about to start the shower when I realized I forgot to bring clothes. 

"I forgot my clothes, can you hand me my—what's going on?" I all but yelled as I found Hotch on the ground holding his head, and Angel standing above him with his arms crossed. I quickly walked over and bent down next to Hotch, who was holding his head much like I was earlier. 

"What is going on?" I asked again, and Hotch groaned. 

"I just went to wake him up. He pushed me and now I'm... here." He winced and I frowned, looking at Angel. 

"Do I need to take you to JJ while I shower?" I asked him curtly, and he blushed and shook his head. I helped Hotch up and then bandaged his head.

"Deja vu." He mumbled and I laughed before grabbing my clothes and heading back to the shower. 

When I came out I smiled at Hotch, and he gave me a weird look and just sorta stared at me. I shifted under his gaze, and when he looked away, I brushed the wet hair out of my face and moved to sit down on the bed. 

"Have you done that since you were a kid?" Hotch motioned to the mismatched socks I was putting on. I nodded, and he chuckled before he went to shower as well. 

"When Hotch gets back, do you want to shower?" I asked Angel, who thought for a minute and then nodded. Hotch returned quickly, and Angel disappeared into the bathroom. Hotch still wasn't wearing a shirt, and I couldn't help but to look at the water droplets that slid down his scarred chest. 

"They take up so much space, don't they?" He asked with a grim smile, and I shook my head quickly. 

"No, they don't. They're part of you, Hotch. That's okay." I murmured, and then moved to put my shoes on. I saw him smile out the corner of my eye, and then he started to get dressed. 

Angel came out of the bathroom fully dressed, and quietly put on his shoes. 

"Everybody ready?" Hotch asked, and we nodded. We locked up the room and headed down to the hotel breakfast to meet the rest of the team. I felt a small tug on my cardigan and looked to see Angel, who then clung to my side. I put my arm around his shoulder, not missing Hotch tense at the gesture as we walked into the dining area. The rest of the team was already sitting down at a large table, and gave us questioning looks, obviously not missing Hotch's stance either. 

JJ was the first to speak up. "Uh, did you guys literally butt heads last night?" She asked quizzically, and I blushed as I remembered our matching head wounds. 

"Reid fell off the bed this morning, and then I tripped over my bag." Hotch sighed, making his little lie about how he got hurt very convincing. Everyone laughed and Angel stayed silent, knowing Hotch was covering for him. 

"How'd you sleep, Angel?" Emily asked with a kind smile. 

"Good. Thank you." He said quietly and her smile grew.

"Well, uh, I'm gonna find some coffee and food, I guess." I mumbled and stood up, quickly walking over and filling a plate, and a paper cup. 

"Do you consume anything besides sugar?" Hotch joked as I picked up a donut, and I mock glared at him. The team laughed and Rossi and Hotch stood to get food, talking about something sports related as they walked away. 

"Angel, is there anyone we can start looking for?" Morgan asked carefully, and Angel nodded quickly. 

"My mom. Lupe Suarez." He said and smiled. Morgan nodded and sent a text to who I assumed was Garcia. 

I took a drink of my coffee and grimaced at the taste. They were out of sugar. The team noticed, and once again laughed. I sighed and frowned, beginning to eat my food. Hotch and Rossi came back, talking about god knows what, and sat down. We finished eating, and then made our way to the station. We greeted the LEO's and then moved into our conference room. 

"Okay, what do we have on JB Allen?" Hotch asked, and everyone started throwing things out. I took that moment to refill my coffee cup, but when I reached for the sugar it was gone. I sat back down and sighed, looking up when Hotch stopped mid sentence. He pulled out a small box of sugar packets and set them down in front of me. 

"I'm sorry, but after this morning it was too tempting to not move them." He laughed which surprised everyone. Hotch made a joke, and now he's laughing? Weird. 

"Ha ha. Very funny, Hotch." I rolled my eyes, but his small smile told me he knew I wasn't really upset. He started walking across the room and suddenly tripped, falling on the ground. He immediately glared up at Angel who glared back. 

"Hotch, are you okay?" I exclaimed and stood up and darted over to help him up off the floor. He ignored me, and got up on his own. I looked down immediately, stepping back from him. I hadn't meant to upset him; I just wanted to help.

A low, angry noise sounded in the room as Angel suddenly stood and moved towards Hotch, fists swinging and catching us all off guard. Morgan thankfully jumped up and grabbed him before he could do any damage. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Rossi asked, referring to Angel who was glaring at Hotch, who looked as stunned as I felt. 

"I hate him!" Angel yelled and everyone just stared in surprise. 

"Why?" Morgan asked, clearly confused. 

"Because he's mean to Reid! And I love Reid." He mumbled the last part, blushing. Everyone's mouths opened in awe, and I froze, seeing Hotch tense in front of me. 

"I am not mean to Spencer." He stated lowly, using my first name, clearly establishing his dominance in the argument. "And you don't love him. It's just hero worship." Hotch growled and Angel shook his head, looking to me. 

"You love me too, right? Tell me you love me, too." He pleaded, and all eyes were on me. 

"I'm sorry, Angel. I, uh, I don't love you. I care for you, but, um, not like that." I said awkwardly, clearing my throat. 

"But, you like guys. I know you like guys. Why don't you like me?" Angel whimpered, reaching out for me. Hotch instinctively moved so he was now completely in front of me, glaring at Angel. Thankfully, everyone seemed to ignore Angel's accusation. 

"That is none of your business, and you need to drop this. Garcia contacted your mother and she should be here soon. I suggest you leave Dr. Reid alone. Morgan, can you escort Mr. Suarez to a different room where he can wait for his mother?" Hotch asked, jaw set, his arm extended behind him, but in front of me, in a protective manner. Morgan nodded, then led Angel out of the conference room. Hotch didn't drop his arm until Angel was completely out of sight. 

"You okay?" He turned, asking me quietly. I nodded slowly, looking down. 

"Spence?" JJ asked quietly and I looked up at her. "Are you guys gonna press charges?" I shook my head, seeing Hotch do the same. She nodded. 

"I wondered if he was crushing on Reid. He was practically glued to him. I didn't expect him to try and go after Hotch, though. That's interesting." Emily said and shrugged her shoulders. I blushed at the attention from everyone and looked back down. 

"Let's just forget about it. Do we have enough to arrest JB Allen?" Hotch asked and Rossi nodded, Morgan agreeing as he walked back in. 

"Alright. Let's go get him." Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss headed out the door and Hotch turned to me. 

"Stay here, Reid. Your head's not in the game right now and I don't want you getting hurt. We'll be back soon. Don't beat yourself up over this; it isn't your fault. I'll see you in a bit. Bye JJ." He squeezed my shoulder and then ran out after the rest of the team. 

"It'll be okay, Spence. Angel's been through a lot and Hotch is right—it probably was hero worship. I'm gonna go wait with him, but you should stay here." JJ gave me a sweet smile and left the room. 

I sighed and sat down, taking a drink of my bitter coffee before remembering I never got the chance to put sugar in. I sweetened the drink and then took a sip, smiling at the taste. I decided to pull out my copy of War and Peace in the original Russian and start reading. By the time the team got back I had finished that and was halfway through reading Crime and Punishment. Hotch walked in to tell me they were back and smiled as he saw I was reading. 

"I thought you'd want to know that Angel's mother is also here. I thought you might like to say goodbye to him." Hotch said and I nodded, putting away my book and followed him out to where Angel was hugging his mom. He saw me and walked over, playing with his hands. 

"Goodbye, Angel. I hope you can move forward with your life now. " I said awkwardly and he smiled, nodding. He hugged me and I patted his back in return, slightly hugging him back. He leaned up and kissed my cheek, and then blushed and gave me a little wave. 

"Thank you so much. Goodbye, Dr. Reid. " I returned his goodbye and have him a little wave. 

Rossi clapped me on the shoulder and gave me a small smile. "You did good, kid. Let's get out of here. " I nodded and we all left, driving to the airport. Not too long after, we were on our way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say goodbye to Angel! ):
> 
> Do you guys think the team is gonna bring up what he said about Reid liking guys? 
> 
> What about that nasty scar on Reid's head? He said he's just clumsy, but Hotch could tell how nervous he was. Is he hiding something, or was it just the adrenaline from being startled awake and falling off the bed that was making him jumpy?
> 
>  
> 
> I appreciate your feedback. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, big thanks to my lovely beta-reader, EloquentDossier, for making this chapter (especially the case) possible.

I walked through the glass doors into the bullpen and quickly sat down in my chair. I looked around the room, and saw that, like usual, I was the first one of the team to get there, so I pulled out my case files and looked through my reports. I started working on the first, and then kept working through the others. I was on my second to last report when Hotch walked up to my desk. 

"Good morning, Reid." He greeted, and I looked up and smiled. 

"Hey, Hotch. What's up?" He smiled back at me. 

"I was wondering if you could help me on one of my reports? I can't find the notes for the case and I don't have a memory like yours." He laughed and I nodded quickly. 

"Yeah sure, let me finish these last two up really quick an I'll be ready." It was his turn to nod now. 

"Thanks, I'll wait." I expected him to go back to his office, or stand by my desk. I wasn't expecting him to sit down on the edge of my desk, and watch me work. What was going on with him these past few days? He'd been very... well, not Hotch. I decided to just ignore his presence as best as I could, and finish my last two reports. Hotch must have been very concentrated on my work because the second I put down my pen he stood up and grabbed his briefcase. I smiled to myself and closed the last file, setting it on top of the others. I then grabbed my messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder, smiling up at Hotch. He returned it with one of his own, and we walked up to his office. 

"What case do you need help with?" I asked, sitting down as he shut the door. 

"The case with Jeffrey Collins. I need the note that Donald Collins wrote, but I can't find my notes. Do you remember it?" He asked as he walked around and sat behind his desk. 

"Word for word. Tell me when you're ready to start writing." He put his pen to the paper and then nodded, so I started slowly reciting the words. 

"'My name is Donald James Collins and I am of sound mind. I take full responsibility for the murder of four local women who I brutally stabbed to death. I can no longer love with what I've done so I've decided to take my own life.   
Donald J. Collins'" 

"Never leave, Reid." Hotch said absently, and I looked down, smiling shyly. 

"Do you want me to go now?" I asked awkwardly, not wanting to impose. 

"You finished your paperwork, right?" I nodded. "Then do you want to help me find a case? They're stacking up, and I hate that." He sighed, looking at the stack of eleven files on his desk. 

"Of course, but are you sure? It's been a while since we looked at cases together. I don't want to get in your way." I cleared my throat, looking down. 

"I'm sure, and you won't get in my way. I miss having someone help me pick the most important case. It makes me feel better about choosing at all." He frowned and I nodded, then picked up the first file. 

"Let's start then." I opened the file as Hotch stood, walking around his desk to sit next to me as we started looking through them. 

"Hotch, can you hand me the bottom file in that second stack there?" I asked with a frown. He nodded and picked it up before opening it and setting it in front of us. 

"What is it?" He asked as I read through the LEO's notes on the file before looking to another one I had open next to it. 

"Hotch, these have to be the same unsub." I stated and now he frowned, looking confused. 

"He's crossing state lines?" I nodded, pointing to the notes. 

"Savannah and Hilton Head are only roughly 45 minutes apart. It could be easily driven. The LEO's notes practically match, Hotch. The unsub is killing young boys and leaving behind a makeshift bouquet in their hands. " I said and he cringed. I knew he couldn't help but think of Jack. I looked at the ME's report for the cause of death but frowned at her notes. 

"It says there's abuse, but no sign of sexual assault, thankfully. The bodies are covered in bruises, and they're too old to be from our unsub." My frown deepened and I looked up at Hotch. 

"So someone else is abusing these boys. You think the parents?" He shivered slightly, and I wondered if he was thinking of his own father. 

"It has to be. Hotch, I think we've got our case." He nodded and stood up.

"Grab the files, let's head to the conference room." We left his office, him calling out to the team who was now present. They all stood and started walking our way. 

"Don't sit down, Reid. I want your help in presenting this to the team since you noticed the connection." Hotch said as I moved I to my chair. I nodded and walked over to him right as everyone else started filing in. They gave me weird looks and sat down, obviously surprised because I'd never helped present a case before. 

"All right, guys. We've got a possible spree killer who's crossing state lines. He's killed four boys: two fourteen year olds, and two thirteen year olds. Two in Savannah, Georgia and the other two in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina." The team sighed in unison; cases with children were hard for everyone. 

"Reid?" Hotch called, and I looked at him quickly. 

"What?" He smiled. 

"The files, Reid. I need you to talk about his MO, and the ME reports." I nodded and smiled awkwardly. 

"Sorry. Uh," I cleared my throat, and opened the file. "The unsub is abducting and killing young boys from Savannah and Hilton Head. The boys were found with small bouquets that he most likely made in their hands. They contain chestnut flowers and purple hyacinths. The chestnut flowers symbolize seeking justice, while the purple hyacinths mean 'forgive me.' These flowers are tied together with white ribbon, which could be symbolic of the boys' innocence or purity." I looked at Hotch and nodded, letting him know I was done. 

"Reid, the ME report?" Hotch prompted again, and everyone was silent, just watching. I blushed and looked down, clearing my throat once more. 

"Sorry, again. Um, the report said there was evidence of abuse but no sexual assault." I paused and everyone's faces lightened. 

"Thank god." JJ breathed. 

"However, the boys were almost covered in bruises and even some cuts, but they're all too old to be from our unsub. We need to talk to the parents. We might be looking at an Angel of Death." I murmured, and Hotch nodded. 

"Wheels up in 10 guys. We need to hurry. If he's on a spree he won't stop. We've already got four bodies in four weeks. We'll debrief more on the plane." Everyone stood except Morgan who smirked at Hotch. 

"What, so now Pretty Boy gets sneak peaks?" He laughed and Hotch just looked at him. 

"Pretty Boy was looking through case files with me. He's the one who noticed the connection and realized we had a case." He said Morgan's nickname for me as if it were normal, and everyone just looked at him. I choked on the air I was breathing and started coughing. Hotch just looked at all of us. 

"What? I can play along sometimes, too." He half-grumbled, which made JJ and Prentiss bust out laughing. Rossi cracked a smile, and Morgan looked at me with concern in his eyes and walked towards me, as I was still coughing. 

"You okay, man?" He asked and I nodded, my eyes watering. Rossi handed me the water bottle I hadn't noticed he was holding and I looked at the lid for a moment. 

"It's new. The seal's not even cracked yet." He assured me, understanding my hesitation. I grabbed it and twisted the lid off, breaking the seal, and took a big drink. My coughing subsided after a moment, but everyone was still staring at me. 

"Sorry. I, uh, choked. But yeah, Morgan, I was helping look through case files, so I guess I did get a sneak peak." I laughed and turned to leave the room. 

I didn't miss Prentiss lean over to JJ and Rossi to whisper, "When did they start doing that again?" JJ shrugged but they all shared a small smile. 

\----------

"Hotchner." Hotch stated as he answered his phone. We had literally just walked onto the jet when he got the call. "Okay, thank you. Well be there as soon as we can." He hung up and sat down with us. 

"That was Savannah's sheriff. They found another boy. Same signature and everything. We'll all set up in their station and then we'll split up. Half of us will stay there and the other half will go to South Carolina." He explained to us and everybody nodded, looking down at their copies of the files. 

"The first boy that was found in Hilton head is Adam Spahr. He was found at Mackay Creek. The second was Jonah Greenfield, found at St. Augustine Creek, in Savannah. The third Tommy Shey, found at Skull Creek in Hilton Head. And the fourth, Ellis Hall, Turner Creek in Savannah. Now the fifth, Jake Gillman, Grimball Creek, also in Savannah. All these boys were found by tourists." Hotch sighed, and Rossi raised his eyebrows.

"Creeks are obviously important to this guy, and so is these boys being found quickly by tourists. Now the double offense in Savannah? He broke his pattern. Maybe Georgia is the most important to him. He probably lives in or around Savannah." He said and JJ cleared her throat quietly. 

"He definitely has a type. Light brown hair, brown eyes, 13 or 14 years old. He's definitely a preferential offender." She looked down, and everyone knew this was already getting to her. 

"Cause of death is a bit odd. The boys had around forty milligrams of Diazepam and wine in their systems. They died from respiratory failure." Prentiss said and I frowned because I never saw that. 

"Diazepam? How did I miss that?" I mumbled quietly, and JJ frowned. 

"Sorry to ask, but what's Diazepam?" She laughed awkwardly, clearly confused. 

"It's an anti-anxiety medication. I had to give it to my mother before I could get her antipsychotics. You mix enough of that with any alcohol and it's typically bad news, especially with how small they are." I frowned, and JJ and Prentiss gave me sympathetic looks.

"Why are you so concerned about anxiety medication, Reid?"Morgan asked bluntly, but I ignored his tone. 

"Diazepam is prescription only, and I highly doubt anybody is selling it on the street. It'll be a long list, but our unsub is on it." I stated firmly and Rossi grinned. 

"Spencer Reid, don't ever go away." He said and I laughed, remembering the similar statement Hotch said earlier.

"What's so funny?" Rossi raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head, sparing a glance at Hotch who was smiling into his file. 

"Nothing, I, uh... it's not the first time I've heard that today, is all." I laughed again, and this time it was Morgan who raised his eyebrows. 

"Pretty Boy got a lady?" He smirked and I blushed, immediately shaking my head. 

"No, nothing like that. It was a friend." I said and he frowned. 

"You have friends?" He mocked and I looked down, trying not to take it personally. 

"Reid has friends." Hotch countered, shooting me a smile. I returned it as Morgan fake pouted due to being chastised. 

\----------

About an hour later we had arrived in Savannah, and were on our way to the station. When we arrived Hotch led us into the station and greeted the Sheriff. 

"Sheriff Myers, these are SSA's David Rossi, Dr. Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jereau, and Emily Prentiss." He introduced everyone, and I saw the shock on Myers' face when Hotch said I was a doctor. Most people have the same reaction, but few say anything about. Myers happened to be one of those few. 

"Doctor, huh? You're a bit young, aren't ya?" He asked bluntly, but with a smile. I blushed, but just nodded. He gave me an odd look, but showed us to a conference room where we could set up. 

"Reid, would you mind setting up the boards?" Hotch asked once we were inside, and I shook my head, going over to them. I opened the files that contained our case photos and started pinning them to the boards. "Thanks, Reid." Hotch said as he clapped me on my shoulder. I tried not to flinch, but I did, and he backed up quickly. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said quietly, I frowned and shook my head. 

"It's alright. It's just, uh, we haven't been back to Georgia in a while. Being here again just kinda puts me on edge. It won't affect my ability to work, I swear." I stuttered out awkwardly, Hotch gave me a concerned look but then smiled. 

"I know, Reid. If you need anything, someone to talk to, or just some air, let me know, okay?" I returned his smile and nodded, silently thanking him. He slowly lifted his hand to my shoulder again and gently squeezed, turning back to the team who was too buried in the files to notice our exchange. 

"Alright, let's get started. We need to talk to parents. That means two of us need to drive up to Hilton Head, and the rest of us need to split up and cover the families here. Rossi, Prentiss, are you two okay to go to South Carolina?" Hotch asked and they nodded, closing their files. 

"Okay, talk to each family together, don't split up. Morgan, you and I will talk to the Greenfields, Reid, you and JJ talk to the Halls. Whoever finishes first will talk to to the Gillmans." He stated and my heart leapt into my throat at the memory of the last time JJ and I made a house call here. 

"Hotch!" I squeaked before I could stop myself, starting to panic. He noticed and nodded as everyone froze. Rossi, however, looked confused.

"Morgan, you go with JJ, and Reid, you'll come with me." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. 

"What just happened?" Rossi asked, staring at me.

"Uh, a few years ago when we were in Georgia, we had a case in Atlanta, and Spence and I went to talk to a potential witness. The guy ended up being our unsub. Spence and I split up, and uh, the unsub took him. I was attacked by a small pack of dogs, and I had to shoot them. It was a rough time. We were so afraid we wouldn't get him back, but we did." She was teary and I cleared my throat, shifting on my feet. 

"My god, I'm sorry. Spencer, would you rather come to South Carolina?" Rossi asked sympathetically, but I shook my head. 

"It's okay. Were not in Atlanta. I'll be okay guys, really." I tried to smile, but I think it just came out as a grimace. Judging by the looks on their faces, I'd say I was right. Rossi nodded, but I knew he'd want the full story when the case was over. He and Prentiss said their goodbyes, and headed out. 

"Hotch, just for the hell of it, please don't let him out of your sight." JJ sighed, Morgan nodding in agreement. 

"I won't, don't worry. As far as I'm concerned, that's the same for you and Morgan. Keep in touch so we can figure out who gets done first." Hotch concluded, and we all went to the SUV's. 

"Reid, I want you to watch the Greenfield's micro expressions. Especially when I ask about the abuse. They could be good at hiding it, and I need you to watch for that." I nodded at him in agreement. 

"Well, they live considerably close to the station. What was that, maybe a six, seven minute drive?" He mumbled as we parked and stepped out of the car, walking to the front door. He knocked and we heard footsteps shuffle to the door. 

"Hello, ma'am, I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner, and this is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. We're from the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit, and we need to ask you some questions about your son Jonah. May we come in?" Hotch politely spoke to the woman at the door. 

"Oh, yes, of course. Let me get my husband." She led us to the living room, and then shouted for a dark haired man who stepped in to the room a moment later. 

"These are agents Hotchner and Dr. Reid. They're from the FBI. They're here about Jonah." She explained to him. 

"I'm Charlie, and this is my wife Margaret. How can we help you, agents?" He gave us a sad smile as he put his arm around his wife, guiding her to the couch. 

"We just need to go over a few things so we can find the guy who did this. You said Jonah disappeared on his walk home from the bus stop, and he never made it home?" Hotch questioned carefully. 

"Yes. The bus stop is just at the end of the street, so we never thought he'd get hurt." Margaret sniffled, gripping her husband's hand. 

"Do you know anyone that would want to hurt Jonah? Or perhaps you two?" They shook their heads, and they were being genuine. It was the perfect time for Hotch to strike. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield, I'm sorry for the question I'm about to ask, but did you ever abuse Jonah?" He asked bluntly, causing them to gasp. Also genuine.

"Excuse me?" Margaret demanded, but Hotch ignored it. 

"Have you ever hit your son? Repeatedly, when he didn't deserve it." He prodded, and then it was Charlie who spoke. 

"We have never laid a hand on our son, not even to spank him. Why on earth would you ask that?" He exclaimed, and Hotch sighed. 

"The ME report stated that Jonah, as well as the other victims, had severe bruising on their bodies. It didn't correspond with the attack, as these were older. Some weeks, some days. Someone was hurting your son, Charlie. If it wasn't you two, then who was it?" Margaret suddenly started crying, and Charlie tried to comfort her. 

"Sweetheart, what is it?" He soothed, but she kept crying. 

"Jonah was having trouble with some classmates. They were bigger than him, and they were teasing him. He swore to me they never hurt him, though. Why would he lie?" She wailed, I clenched my fists. 

"Ma'am, oftentimes when children get bullied, we hide it from our parents, especially our mother. We don't want to worry you, so we don't tell you. We think we can handle it on our own." I spoke up for the first time since arriving. 

"We?" She inquired, calming down enough to speak evenly. 

I shifted uncomfortably. I hadn't meant to say that. 

"Did someone hurt you, sweetheart?" Her tone became instantly maternal and I had to fight back tears, clearing my throat. 

"Uh, yeah. I was a lot younger than my peers in high school, so it could be difficult. Do you have the names of the kids who bullied your son?" I quickly changed the subject. Margaret nodded, found paper and a pen, and then wrote them down. 

"A mother always knows." She said and handed me the page. I nodded and waved at them as Hotch shook their hands. 

"Reid, are you alright?" He pulled me aside once we got to the car. 

"I'm fine, Hotch. Let's call Morgan." I offered him another, what I assumed, was a grimace. He sighed but got in the car, so I followed his action. 

"Morgan, what's your status?" He questioned when he answered, and nodded even though he couldn't see him. "All right, we got the same information. Finish up and meet us back at the station." He hung up, then turned to me. 

"They're already talking to the Gillmans now. They had the same results for both kids. They were both being bullied at school. They all went to the same school, so the bullies might overlap." He declared and I just nodded slightly. He gave me a once over, but started driving back to the station.

I hate cases like these.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being back in Georgia has everyone a little on edge, huh? 
> 
> Stay tuned <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this took so long, I've been really busy.  
> Thanks to my lovely beta-reader Erica for her hard work <3
> 
> I hope you like this, the next one should be up soon!

"Hotch, we have another missing kid." JJ sighed as she briskly walked past us into the conference room. Hotch shook his head, and we all followed JJ. 

"Sixteen-year-old Bobby Randall didn't show up to school this morning. His parents saw him walking towards the bus as they left for work, but his friends and the driver said he never got on. He has light brown hair and brown eyes. His dad says he's been having trouble with some kids at school. This has to be our guy." JJ said exasperatedly, and Rossi furrowed his eyebrows. 

"He's older, though. He moved from eighth grade boys to... what, a junior in high school? That's a big jump. He could be devolving." He said, his frown deepening. 

Morgan sighed, and then turned and slammed his hand against the wall. I jumped, dropping the coffee I was holding on the floor, and it spilled on my shoes. 

"Morgan!" Hotch shouted, making me jump again. 

God, I'm pathetic. 

"Reid, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Hotch turned to me with worry in his eyes and I nodded, surprised at his concern. 

"Reid, I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just frustrated. We've got no leads, and another missing boy." Morgan sighed and I gave him a small smile. 

"It's okay, guys. I'm sorry. I feel so useless right now." I said quietly, and the whole team frowned, which was slightly amusing. They all started to console me at the same time, and they all laughed at each other. 

"You're not useless, Reid. You're an asset, not a burden." Prentiss said softly, but firmly. I smiled at her, but it was tight-lipped. She noticed, but said nothing.

"Reid, come with me. We'll get you cleaned up, and then you guys can brief us when we get back." Hotch stated more than questioned, and everyone else nodded, except for Morgan who gave him an odd look. Hotch ignored it, already walking towards the bathroom, and motioned for me to follow him. 

"Take off your shoes, I can clean them up really quick. Are you okay otherwise?" He asked once the door shut behind us, and I nodded as I started slipping off my white converse, which now had coffee stains on them. He grabbed them and set them on the counter before wetting some paper towels and starting to dab at them. 

I giggled at the sight, and he looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" 

I smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so domestic." 

He chuckled a little, bringing his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture as he looked at me. "It'll be our little secret." He winked and I froze, definitely blushing. God, he's just been so weird lately. A good weird, but weird nonetheless. 

"Reid?" Hotch's voice broke me out of my thoughts, and the look on his face told me it was not the first time he'd said my name. 

"What?" 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He frowned and my eyes widened as I quickly shook my head. 

"No, you didn't. I just zoned out, sorry." I smiled sheepishly, but his frown didn't falter. 

"How are you doing, Reid? Don't lie to me, either." He looked at me with concerned eyes, and my gaze shot to my hands. 

"I'm all right, Hotch. I'm a little jumpy, yeah, but I'm all right. Let's go find this boy." He smiled, handing me my damp shoes. I grinned, choosing to carry them instead of put them back on. 

"All right, what are we looking at here?" Hotch asked once we'd reentered the conference room. Prentiss handed him a file and he nodded his thanks at her. "Is this a devolution? Or is he finally going over his intended targets?" He asked, rubbing his forehead. 

"I think it's devolu—Reid why aren't you wearing shoes, man?" Morgan asked ridiculously, and I rolled my eyes. 

"Morgan, we have five bodies and a missing boy. My shoes are not what you should be focusing on." I snapped, a bit harsher than I intended to. 

"Reid's right. We need everyone's full attention on this boy." Rossi said sternly, and Morgan nodded. 

"Guys, what if this isn't the first teenager he's taken?" I asked suddenly and Prentiss frowned. 

"We have no other bodies with this signature, or even with the victimology." 

"I know, but... Just, someone call Garcia please." I pleaded and Morgan was already dialing. 

"Hello, my Chocolate Thunder. What can I do for you?" Garcia's voice greeted instantly. 

"Hey, Mama. Reid needs you to do something for him." Morgan smiled, setting the phone on the table. 

"Anything for you, my Boy Wonder. Throw it at me." 

"Garcia I need you to look for missing boys ages fifteen through seventeen with light brown hair and brown eyes." I bent down and rested my hands on the table as I heard her typing quickly. 

"I found three, my sweet. Sending their pictures and information to your phones now. I'll fax it to you as well. Anything else?" She asked sweetly and I smiled. 

"No, that's it. Thanks, Garcia." She said her goodbye and hung up. I grabbed the faxed papers while the others pulled it up on their phones. 

"Sebastian Moyer, seventeen years old, disappeared almost exactly two months ago on his way to school. Ian Sutherland, sixteen years old, disappeared two weeks later, on his way home from school. Luke Ryan, fifteen years old, disappeared on his way to school. They were all written off as runaways due to their problems with other kids at school, and being so withdrawn. This is our unsub." I read off the information, looking up at them. 

"He was working his way down. Now what, he's working his way back up? Who the hell is this guy?" Rossi exclaimed, throwing his hands up. 

"He wasn't getting noticed." JJ muttered quietly, making everyone look to her. 

"What's that, Jayje?" Morgan asked, and she looked up at us. 

"He wasn't getting noticed. They wrote him off. He went younger and younger until he got recognized, and now that he knows we're looking for him, he can go back to picking whatever boy he wants." She said incredulously. 

"JJ, I think you're right." Hotch said, giving her an approving look before scanning over all of us. "Now, how do we find him? We have no leads, but I think we have enough information for a profile. Are you ready to brief the locals?" He gave us pointed looks and we all nodded, gathering our papers. 

\----------

"The man we're looking for is a white male, probably in his late thirties to early forties. He is a loner. He never developed enough social skills to feel comfortable around people, but more importantly, for them to feel comfortable around him. He goes beyond being socially awkward. He's extremely jumpy, and afraid of almost everyone he meets. His demeanor is so uneasy that he makes everyone in the room anxious." Hotch started, looking at the LEO's. 

"Based on his MO, we believe him to be an Angel of Death. He truly thinks he's saving these boys by killing them, and that he's taking away their pain of being bullied. This means he was most likely bullied when growing up, and that is to blame for his personality and emotional state." Morgan added, looking to Rossi to continue. 

"Because of this, we believe these boys are surrogates for himself. This means he too has light brown hair and brown eyes. This also means he sees his only way out to be suicide, or suicide by cop." I stepped forward slightly when he finished talking, preparing myself to speak next. 

"His signature shows that he is very remorseful. He makes bouquets to leave the boys, which consist of chestnut flowers and purple hyacinths. The chestnut flowers symbolize seeking justice, which is his way of letting us know he wants the bullies, his and theirs, to be punished. The purple hyacinths mean 'forgive me,' which tells us that he doesn't truly want to hurt these boys, and he wants to be forgiven for what he's done. These bouquets are tied with white ribbon, which might symbolize the innocence and purity of the boys, and how they don't deserve what was happening to them." I took in a subtle breathe once I finished, making Prentiss quirk a smile next to me before relaying the last bit of information. 

"He most likely is unemployed, or has rocky work history, due to his lack of people skills. He also lives in an isolated area that gives him privacy to carry out these murders, and prevent him from having to socialize. He probably drives a nice, but not flashy, car that fits right in to these family neighborhoods. Even though his interpersonal skills are bad, he somehow gets these victims to go willingly. They've all been abducted in their own neighborhoods, and nobody noticed a thing." She finished with a curt nod to JJ who then stepped forward. 

"Please, devote as much attention as you can to this case. We have five bodies, three possible more, and a missing boy. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for your time." She wrapped it up quickly, and we headed back to our temporary room. We sat down and just kept staring at the details, as if something would jump out at us. 

"He's devolving." Rossi suddenly said, breaking the silence. 

"I thought we said he was evolving? He's finally where he wants to be." Morgan countered, and I suddenly understood. 

"No, guys, Rossi's right." I said and he laughed. 

"It does happen from time to time." 

"What do you two see?" Hotch asked curiously, and Rossi nodded for me to take the lead. 

"We completely ignored the circumstances of Jake Gillman." I said, almost amazed at how we just passed right over it. 

"What do you mean?" Prentiss asked, cocking her head. 

"He abducted and killed twice in one week." I implored, standing up and almost running over to our timeline. "Before we found out about the other three victims we thought he started at one per week. But now we know he started at one every two weeks. He started devolving after his third victim. Guys, he's been devolving the whole time." I looked back at them, eyes wide. 

"Which means, it won't be long before he makes a mistake. He's been on a spree for a whole month, rapidly devolving basically since he started. He'll screw up soon, and it'll be all we need to catch this son of a bitch." Rossi concluded, giving me a proud look. Everyone else sat there stunned, staring at us. 

"Good work, you two. So now we sit, and we wait. Keep working the profile. We'll get this guy." Hotch praised. 

"Agents, there's someone out here you're gonna want to see." The sheriff burst through the door, urging us to follow him. 

"Who?" Morgan asked as we all stood. 

"Bobby Randall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erica loved when Hotch winked at Reid, did you? 
> 
> Reid might not be the only one who's noticing Hotch's odd behavior. 
> 
> Stay posted!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hope you guys like it, and as always, thanks to my lovely beta-reader Erica for her hard work!

"Check mate." Rossi muttered as we all hurriedly followed the sheriff to the waiting area of the station. There was a tall boy leaning against a desk, clearly disheveled. 

"Oh, my god." JJ breathed as she headed towards him. 

"Bobby? My name is Jennifer, and this is my team. We're from the FBI; we're the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Are you feeling up to talking with us?" She approached him cautiously, and he looked up at her, nodding. She smiled and led him towards us. We all walked into a different room, and JJ had him sit down. Hotch looked at me and motioned for me to step to the side with him. 

"Reid, I want you to lead this. You can relate to him, make him feel comfortable. He'll trust you." He told me quietly. I nodded, and we walked back over. 

"Bobby, my name is Spencer Reid. Is it okay if we talk a little bit?" I asked lightly as I sat down, leaving out the doctor part to make him more comfortable. He nodded, looking up at me. "Bobby, do you remember this morning on your way to the bus? You never made it on. Can you tell me what happened?" I questioned and he nodded again. 

"I was walking to the bus, and this guy said my name. I didn't know him, but he knew me. He seemed nice enough. A bit awkward, but I am too, so I never judge someone on that, you know?" He stated, looking into my eyes, and this time I nodded. 

"Yes, I do. What happened after that?" He sighed. 

"He said he knew about, uh, stuff at school. He said it happened to him when he was in school, but he found somewhere that helped him. He said he could take me there." He muttered and looked down. "It was stupid; I know. But he seemed like he actually cared, and I thought, 'Maybe this person doesn't have it out for me.' I guess I was wrong." Bobby rubbed his forehead, clearly displeased with himself. I placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his gaze. 

"This wasn't your fault, Bobby. Don't blame yourself." I said sincerely, and he gave me a smile. "Can you tell me what happened next?" I dropped my hand back to my side, and he took a deep breath before continuing. 

"I got in the car. We drove for about twenty minutes or so, and then we came to this dirt road that led into the trees. We drove that for maybe five more, and then stopped in front of a house in this clearing. I knew something was up the second we left town, but I followed him inside anyway. I thought that maybe if I played dumb he wouldn't hurt me." He laughed humorlessly. 

"Did he? Hurt you?" I questioned and he shook his head, a sort of sadly amazed look on his face. 

"No, he didn't. He gave me a glass of wine, said it'd calm my nerves. I took a few drinks to humor him, but I knew straight away it tasted a bit weird. My head got a little fuzzy, and when he wasn't looking I poured the rest down the sink. He led me outside and I played along, letting him drag me around. When we got outside I kicked him where the sun don't shine," he snorted. "And then I hit his face with my knee. When he hit the ground I kept kicking him until I knew he was out. Then I ran back to the main road, and a nice lady drove me here." He smirked and leaned back a little bit. 

"Your smart thinking saved your life, Bobby. We have a sketch artist here. Would you mind sitting down with him?" I asked.

Bobby suddenly laughed, and I furrowed my eyebrows. "It's the 21st century, sir. I took a picture before I ran." 

I looked up at the team who looked as shocked as I probably did. Surprisingly, this was the first time anybody had ever done that. "Can I see your phone? I can send it to our analyst, and she can probably identify him." 

"Reid, that might not be necessary. Let's get it printed and show the force; they might recognize him." Hotch said softly, and Bobby reached into his pocket and handed me his phone. I thanked him, standing up and letting him know he could do the same. 

"Bobby, the sheriff called your parents. They're waiting outside. You can go see them now." Hotch smiled at him, and Bobby returned it, smoothing his hair and clothes out a bit before following us out the door. His mother cried out as she ran towards him, his father in tow. They all shared a tight embrace, making us smile. At least we got one boy home. 

"Let's get this picture in every LEO's face. Somebody knows him, and we need to find him before he takes another kid." Hotch said gruffly and Rossi nodded. 

"He got careless, and he let Bobby get away. He's going to be furious when he wakes up, and we need to find him before he finds someone else." Rossi stated before taking Bobby's phone from me and heading to the printer. He returned quickly with a copy for each of us, handing them out. 

"Excuse me, I'd like your attention. Thanks to Bobby, who is here, and safe, we now have a picture of our unsub. Someone in this room knows him, and where he lives. We're going to show you a picture, so please, if you even have a guess of who it might be, tell us. We can have our analyst pull photos of the person you've named, and we can show them to Bobby. In addition, I want two officers stationed at the Randalls' house, in case he comes back for Bobby. Since this is very likely, Mr. and Mrs. Randall, we suggest that you two and Bobby stay here until we catch him. It's not safe for you anywhere else." Hotch's tone let everyone know he meant business. He held up the unsub's picture, motioning for us to do the same. 

A gasp rang out, and a female officer's hand flew to her mouth. "That's Jerrold Mattherson. He lives out in the woods." 

Hotch shot us a look. "Thank you. Get Garcia on the phone, and have her send us his address. We need to leave as soon as possible. Everyone, get ready. This man will not go down without a fight!" He shouted, and everyone started moving. Morgan put his hand on my shoulder, and we all walked to the conference room to put on our Kevlar vests. 

"Let's go get this son of a bitch," Prentiss sneered as we walked to the two SUV's, the LEO's following our lead. Rossi, Morgan, and JJ went to one car while Hotch, Prentiss, and I ran to the other. We got in, buckled up, and Hotch started driving. Twenty-two minutes later we arrived at the dirt road, and six minutes after that we stopped in front of the house. 

\----------

(Hotch's POV) 

"He knows we're here. I doubt he'll try to run, but just in case, Dave, I want you guys to take half the force and head around back. Be careful." I ordered as we circled up once we were out of the SUV's. Dave nodded and motioned for Morgan and JJ to follow him, rounding up a handful of officers as well. I turned to Prentiss, Reid, and the remaining officers. 

"We're going to go in the front, I want everyone's eyes and ears open, all right? This unsub will likely take his life, or force us to do it for him. He'll do whatever it takes, so be careful. Let's go." I said sharply and led my temporary team to the front door. 

"Jerrold Mattherson, this is the FBI! We have a warrant for your arrest!" I shouted and threw the unlocked door open, quickly scanning the room as I rushed in. There was a crash as Morgan kicked the back door in, and another as the unsub darted from one room to another. Prentiss took off after him, several LEO's in tow. 

"He's not here, Hotch; keep your eyes peeled." Her voice came in through the headset and I sent her my quick reply. I motioned for Reid to look over to the dark kitchen where there was a shadowy figure crouched on the floor. I walked towards it, Reid a few steps behind me. The shadow ended up being some bags stacked up on the floor and I sighed, turning back to Reid, but instead coming face to face with some officers. 

"Where's Doctor Reid?" I asked quietly, and my heart stopped as they shrugged.

"He went that way." One of them pointed towards a hallway, and I glared at him. 

"And none of you went with him?" They shook their heads regretfully. "You never let a partner go alone unless you have to. One of you should have gone with him; there's three of you!" I snarled quietly at them, but then a thought entered my mind that made my blood run cold. 

"What's wrong?" A different guy asked, and I looked at him. 

"Aside from age, he fits the victimology." I whispered, and his eyes widened. "Guys, I've lost eyes on Reid. Mattherson might think Reid sought him out, so we need to find him fast. Move!" I ordered into the walkie talkie, and started walking quickly, hearing everyone else do the same throughout the house. 

I heard Reid whimper from a nearby room and I rushed to it, leaving the officers behind. I ran into the room, and Mattherson quickly put a knife to Reid's throat. "Jarrold, you don't want to do this. Doctor Reid is a federal agent; he's not a child. He doesn't need saving." I tried, my gun trained on him. Reid gave me a worried look, and my heart started to race. 'I can't let him get hurt here, not again.' 

"Yes he does; he needs me! I can help him. I can help!" The unsub stuttered out, looking at me. I heard the rest of the team enter the room behind me, telling everyone else to hang back. I took a step forwards, and Mattherson pressed the blade harder to Reid's neck. "Come any closer and I'll slit his throat." He said frantically, and I stopped. 

"I know you don't want to hurt him, Jerrold. Just put the knife down, and we can talk about this." I tried, watching Reid swallow as the knife pressed deeper into his throat. I locked eyes with Reid, trying to tell him to pay attention. I switched my safety off and he nodded slightly. 

"I know what it's like to have nothing left." I slightly emphasized the word left, still looking at Reid. "But what you're doing's not right." I continued, slightly emphasizing the words "not right." I jerked my head quickly, and Reid turned to the left as I fired two shots to the right side of the unsub's chest. He went down immediately, but the knife still cut Reid's throat. 

"Spence!" JJ shrieked, but Dave held her back. I ran forward, holstering my gun, and wrapped my hands around the cut. Someone, I think Morgan, ran forward to check Mattherson's pulse. He shouted for a medic, which meant he was still alive. 

"Reid, stay with me here." I begged, and he laughed, putting his hand over mine. 

"Hotch, I'm okay. Really, it's not deep. The knife wasn't that sharp, I'm okay." He assured me, but I could feel the tears pricking at my eyes. Blood was spilling from the wound, shallow or not, at a fast pace. His shirt was already covered in it. 

"You're losing a lot of blood." I said, tightening my hold. 

"Hotch, man, what's going on?" Morgan yelled, but I ignored him. 

"Spence!" JJ wailed, and I could tell she was sobbing, clearly having flashbacks from Hankel. I ignored her, as well, too focused on my bleeding friend in front of me. It wasn't until he shook my shoulder that I realized I had zoned out. 

"Aaron!" Reid shouted and my eyes snapped to his face. 

"Yes?" I asked and he gave me a concerned look. 

"We need to get outside to the ambulance. My neck might need stitches." He said softly and I nodded slowly, turning around, but not letting go. JJ struggled in Dave's, and now Prentiss's, grip as well, still bawling. 

"Outside, everyone." I ordered weakly and wrapped an arm around Reid, leading him outside. The team followed, and we walked up the the ambulance. I helped him sit down, and the paramedics quickly started tending to him, making me let go. I backed up, and looked down at my hands. They were dark red, covered in Reid's blood. 

"Hotch, is he okay?" Prentiss asked, and I turned around to blindly face her. 

"I think so. It's, uh, not very deep. Probably stitches." I mumbled distractedly. 

JJ let out a, "Thank god," before starting to cry once more, hugging Prentiss. Morgan let out a breath, and Dave nodded. I just kept staring at my hands. 

"Aaron, what's wrong?" Dave asked and I didn't look up. 

"There's so much blood." My voice cracked, betraying me. I didn't know when I had started shaking, but I had. 

"Hotch, he's okay, man. He's sitting right there." Morgan said, clearly confused. 

"Hotch, are you okay?" Prentiss asked worriedly, still clutching JJ, who was now watching me and sniffling. 

"There's so much blood." I repeated, breathing quickly. Prentiss's eyes widened. 

"Can we get a medic? He's having a panic attack!" She shouted as my knees buckled. Dave rushed forward to steady me, and my head started to spin, my lungs aching. 

"Hotch! Calm down." I heard Reid's voice and my breathing slowed a bit. I looked to see him next to me, and I wondered when and how I'd gotten over there. 

"Hey, I'm all right. Let's get your hands cleaned up, okay?" He said soothingly and I just nodded, my lungs still aching for air. He grabbed a towel from the floor of the ambulance and started wiping off my hands. I glanced up at the team who looked shocked, and concerned. 

"Reid?" I choked out, and he looked up at me. "You're never coming back to Georgia." I said and he quirked a smile, nodding. He cleaned my hands the best he could, and when the paramedics cleared us both, the the team came over to us. JJ latched onto Reid, crying again. He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly, but lovingly. 

"I thought we lost you again, Spence. I was so scared." She sobbed and he hushed her. 

"It's okay, JJ, I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere." She nodded, giving him one final squeeze before stepping back. Prentiss hugged him next, quickly, but tightly. 

"Don't scare us like that, Reid." She breathed, blinking back tears. Dave clapped him on the shoulder, and Morgan pulled him in for a quick embrace as well. 

"They decided against stitches?" Morgan asked when he pulled back. 

"Yeah, it wasn't deep enough so they just cleaned it and used that glue stuff." He smiled, and Morgan nodded. 

"Hotch, are you okay, man?" Morgan asked, concerned. I nodded. 

"Can we please just get back to the hotel? Let's clean up, and then get dinner?" I asked with a sigh and everyone nodded. 

"Prentiss, can you drive?" She nodded, so I tossed her my key. I sat in the back, letting Reid have the front. Everyone loaded in to their respective vehicle, and the three of us rode in silence. 

\----------

"It's a good thing I hated this shirt." Reid laughed as he threw it in the trash can. He had just showered, and the only blood now on him was just the cut itself. It was only barely shy of being an inch long. I looked down at my hands. They were still tinged red. I had showered and washed my hands countless times. 

"What are you thinking?" Reid asked curiously, and I grimaced. 

"I washed my hands god knows how many tines, and they're still stained." I studied them, willing the tint to go away. 

"Twenty-seven." 

I looked up at Reid confusedly. "What?" 

"You've washed your hands twenty-seven times." He answered, staring at me. 

I gave him a tiny smile. "Let's go see if everyone else is ready." He nodded, and we walked out of the room. Morgan and Dave's door was open, and JJ and Prentiss were already inside. We walked in, and everyone smiled up at us, standing up. 

"All right, where are we gonna eat?" I asked and Reid spoke up. 

"Hotch, can we get pancakes?" He asked quietly, and I smiled, noticing everyone else do the same. 

"There's an IHOP around the corner. Is that okay with everyone?" They nodded and Reid grinned. When we got to the SUV's he paused, turning to JJ. 

"JJ, will you ride with us?" He asked and she agreed, smiling. 

"I'll ride with Rossi and Morgan." Prentiss gave Reid an understanding smile and he frowned, shaking his head. 

"No, I want you to stay, Emily. I just want to sit in the back with JJ." He reassured her quietly, and her smile got wider. 

"What are we, chopped liver?" Morgan scowled. 

"Something like that. Drive safe, boys." Prentiss laughed as she got in the drivers seat. He and Dave grumbled as they got in their car, making us laugh. I got in the passenger seat, as Reid and JJ got in the back. I saw her grasp his hand and give it a gentle pat in the rearview mirror, and smiled to myself. Soon enough we were smiling and laughing over our food, enjoying each other's company after a tough night. 

"Whoa, Pretty Boy. Are you doing a research project on diabetes?" Morgan asked as Reid smothered his chocolate chip pancakes in syrup. 

He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "No, why?" 

"Because you're about to become a test subject, kid." He laughed and Reid gave him a weird look, launching into a tangent about how he didn't have diabetes, and the correlation between sugary foods and the disease. For the first time in a while, no one stopped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was eventful, wasn't it?  
> Did anyone realize that Reid fit victimology earlier?   
> Hotch really lost it with all the blood huh? Why do you guys think that is?
> 
> Feedback is wonderful.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late. I'm doing a summer school class that ends today, and needless to say I put off the work way too much and now I'm scrambling to finish it at the last minute, which is likely impossible. Goodness. 
> 
> Anywho, I thought I posted this a few days ago but evidentially not. 
> 
> As always, a special thanks to the wonderful Erica, thank you for being an amazing beta-reader, and also for answering the question of "What book would Reid have on his nightstand?" I swear that without you this story would be impossible. 
> 
> This is a bit fillerish and angsty, but fluffy in places. 
> 
> Soon things will pick up, I promise.

"Thanks for driving me home, Hotch." I gave him a small smile as we walked up to my door. 

"Of course, Reid. Is there anything I can do?" He asked sincerely and I shook my head, regretting it as I winced in pain. 

"What's wrong?" His eyes widened and he stepped forward. 

"Nothing, Hotch. I just strained the cut and it hurt a bit. I'll be alright." 

He frowned at me. "At least let me make you some soup or something?" 

I smiled at him and turned to unlock my door. "It's okay Hotch. It's nearly midnight, go home." 

"Jessica took Jack to her parents' house for a week. Strauss gave us definite time off until Monday, and I don't like the idea of you being here all alone for three days." He said softly, and I smirked. 

"Technically, it's two days and three nights." 

He sighed, trying not to smile. "Reid, please. Just let me take care of you this weekend. If you needed something and no one was here, I couldn't forgive myself." He begged, and I raised my eyebrows but slowly nodded. 

"Okay, you can stay, I guess." I told him and opened my door, walking inside. 

"I'll make dinner." He said as he followed me in, heading straight for the kitchen. I laughed to myself and set my stuff down, locking my gun in the safe. I walked into the kitchen and laughed again at the sight of Hotch bent over the stove, stirring a pot. He looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. 

"What?"

"Nothing, just, this beats you cleaning my shoes for the most domestic thing I've seen you do." I said. 

He smirked. "I guess you turn my bobcat into a house cat." 

I blushed, looking down. "I think you're more of a panther, actually. But that's an interesting thought. What are you making?" I asked, trying to change the subject quickly. He just smiled. 

"I found a can of chicken soup in the pantry, I'm just heating it up. It's much better off the stove." He said, moving to get two bowls from the cupboard. I almost asked how he knew where they were, but then remembered that he and the team had helped me move in. He ladled some soup into the bowls, and dropped spoons in them. He then walked into the living room, me trailing after him. He sat down on the couch and handed me my bowl once I sat next to him. 

We ate in silence, and when we finished he stood to take our dishes to the sink. "Hotch, you really don't need to do that." I sighed but he just ignored me, walking to the kitchen. I heard the sink turn on and rolled my eyes. I got up and walked to my room, flopping down on the bed and groaning at the pain in my neck. I yawned and before I knew it, I was falling asleep. 

\----------

(Hotch's POV) 

I dried my hands on the dish towel and walked back to the living room, but frowned when I didn't see Reid there. I saw the light on in his bedroom and walked in since the door was open. I barely suppressed a laugh at the sight of him sprawled out on his bed, passed out. 

"Only you could fall asleep in converse and a sweater vest." I whispered and walked towards him. I bent down at the foot of the bed and unlaced his shoes, slipping them off his feet. I set them down on the floor and then stood back up. I gently lifted his legs and slipped them under the covers, pulling the blankets up to cover the rest of his body. I went to step away but he grabbed my hand with both of his own. I froze and glanced at his face. He was still asleep but was now snuggling into my arm. He whimpered a bit and turned over, letting go. I smiled, and couldn't help but think about how cute he looked. 

Wait. Reid? Cute? 

"Shit." I muttered absently, and turned to leave the room, shutting the light off on my way out. I grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet and slipped off my shoes and suit jacket before laying down on the couch. I turned the TV volume down a few notches, and drifted into sleep. 

\----------

(Reid's POV) 

I woke up to the smell of coffee and pancakes, and I was immediately confused. I got up quickly, grabbed a book off my nightstand—not checking which one—and cautiously snuck into my kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Hotch standing there. 

"God, you scared me. I thought someone was in here." I choked out, my heart rate slowly returning to normal. 

He turned to face me, raising his eyebrow at the book in my hand. "What were you going to do? Beat me to death with Sherlock Holmes?" He smirked and I glared at him.

"Shut up." I grumbled and he laughed, shooting me a bright smile. My breath hitched in my throat, and he gave me an odd look. I coughed and looked down. 

"Did you sleep well? I didn't mean to make you sleep on the couch. I was going to let you take the bed but then I kinda fell asleep." I laughed awkwardly and looked back up, seeing him turn to grab a mug and fill it with coffee before grabbing a plate of two pancakes and walking to the small dinning table. He set them down and then walked back to get another mug, plate, and the container of sugar. He set them down as well and motioned for me to sit, so I did. 

"Hotch, you really didn't have to do this, but thank you." He smiled at me and started eating as I filled my coffee with sugar. 

"I want to, it's no problem. And I slept well, thank you. 

We made small talk as we ate, and once again he did the dishes when we were done. We sat down on the couch and watched some movie about huge ice spiders on the SyFy channel, but I wasn't really paying attention, too distracted by the pain in my neck. Hotch had apparently noticed this. 

"Are you all right, Reid?" He asked worriedly, and I nodded. 

"Yeah, Hotch, I'm fine." I said quietly, but he didn't budge. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Hotch." 

"Do you need anything?"

"No, but thank you."

"Positive? I can get you Tylenol?"

"Okay, yeah, that'd be nice." I complied, trying not to get irritated. He's only trying to help. He stood up and quickly walked into the bathroom, coming back with two pills on a tissue. He handed them to me, and I swallowed them, chasing them down with a sip of coffee. He stood there awkwardly, just looking at me. 

"Do you need-" I sent him a harsh look, and he faltered. 

"Sit down, Hotch." He did so quickly, still staring at me. "Just watch the movie." I rolled my eyes with a sigh, and he looked at the TV, his gaze flicking back to me when he thought I wasn't looking. 

"Do you want me to put on Doctor Who?" He asked when the movie was over, and I shook my head gently. He nodded, just sitting there. He stood abruptly and walked out of the room. I found myself sighing internally as he returned with a book in his hand. A book that Rossi had gotten me a couple years ago. A spy book. 

"I thought you might want to read." He said quietly, setting it on the coffee table. A small smile slipped on my face. It was sweet, even though he knew I didn't really read fiction that wasn't science-fiction. Still sweet nonetheless. He sat back down, and we were just silent, not really watching whatever new movie came on. It had only been seven minutes when Hotch asked me about Doctor Who again. I just ignored him, along with the next five times he asked. As well as when he kept setting spy books in front of me. 

"Is there anything else you-" He started, but I cut him off again.

"Go home, Hotch." I said, a bit harder than I intended. That seemed to be common with me lately. 

"What?" He asked quietly, and I just glared. 

"Go. Home." 

"...why?" 

"You're smothering me. It's annoying." His look was a mixture of embarrassment and sadness, and I immediately felt bad. 

"I'm sorry. I'll do some paperwork in the kitchen and leave you alone for a while." His voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear him, and he stood and left the room before I could say anything. 

I sighed and got up, walking to my bathroom before starting the shower. I closed the door and stripped off my clothes, getting in once I deemed the water warm enough. I must have zoned out because Hotch knocking on the door caught my attention. 

"Reid, I'm sorry to bother you again, but you've been in there for an hour. Is everything all right?" He asked tentatively, and my eyes widened. 

An hour? God, I guess I was more tired than I thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just zoned out I guess." I reassured him, and I heard him mumble an 'okay' before his feet shuffled away. I washed my hair and body, and shut off the water. I stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist after drying off. I walked into my room and got dressed in an old t-shirt and sweatpants. I glanced at the clock on my night stand and winced when I saw that it was already eight o'clock. 

I walked back out and frowned when I saw Hotch curled up on the couch, asleep, file in hand. I quietly made my way over to him and set the file on the table. He sighed in his sleep and I had to contain a laugh. I covered him with the blanket on the back of the couch and looked at the four spy books still stacked on the table. I rolled my eyes, but picked them up and retreated to my room. I closed my door and sat down on my bed, getting comfortable before opening the first one, and staring to read it. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by and I'd read all four books. 

"Well damn." I muttered in surprise. I hadn't expected to like the books. I supposed I'd have to thank Hotch for suggesting I read them. I switched off the light and snuggled under my blankets, sighing. 

I hope he doesn't hate me for being rude to him, was my last thought before falling asleep. 

\----------

I woke up to my phone ringing and groaned, flinging my hand out to feel around for the noise. 

"Hello?" I said groggily, not bothering to check the caller id.

"Rise and shine, Boy Wonder." Garcia's cheery voice erupted from the other end of the line. 

"Garcia? What time is it?" I mumbled through a yawn, which made her laugh. 

"It's ten after one, my love." She chirped, making me groan again. 

"Fuck," I sighed and she gasped. 

"Language, honey. Anyway, I'm calling to see if you need me to come over and bring you anything?"

"There's no need, but thank you." I sighed and I heard her scoff.

"Really, it's not a big deal, Reid. I want to help." She said softly. 

"Trust me, Hotch has everything covered." I grumbled, and she gasped again. 

"You mean our big bad boss man is taking care of you?" She squealed and I rolled my eyes, pulling the phone away from my ear. 

"More like suffocating me." I said when I deemed it safe to return the phone to my ear. 

"Spencer Reid!" She scolded and I winced automatically. 

"What?" 

"He's just trying to help, hon. He cares about you, and he wants to make sure you're okay. It's not like he gets to take care of people very often, probably only when Jack is sick, if even then. He's worried, and he's just trying to make sure you're well looked after. If he wasn't there, then someone else would be. Don't be so hard on him, sweet cheeks. I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow. Go easy on boss man, and call if you need anything." She told me passionately and I bit my lip, feeling guilty. 

"You're right. Thanks, Garcia. See you tomorrow." She hung up and I set my phone back on the night stand. I stood up and trudged out of my room, looking for Hotch. I walked through the whole apartment with no sign of him. He must have gone home... I couldn't keep the frown off my face as I walked into the kitchen and pulled out my phone to call him. 

I glanced up and squinted at the sight of a note on the coffee pot, which was full of fresh coffee. I set down my phone and picked up the note, which read, "Went to grab you a peace offering. I'll be back soon. Coffee's fresh. Call if you need anything. --Hotch." I put the paper down and jumped when I heard a noise behind me. I whirled around to face Hotch who was staring at me with a worried look. 

"Reid, what's wrong?" He asked softly, stepping towards me. 

"I didn't think you were coming back." I whispered and looked down. 

"Reid, look at me." I slowly glanced up at him, meeting his eyes. "I'll always come back." He murmured fondly, and I could feel a light blush stain my cheeks. We stood there for what felt like forever, just staring at each other. 

"I, uh, brought donuts." Hotch cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence. I looked down at my socks, wiggling my toes. He laughed a bit, and I couldn't stop the smile from slipping on my face. 

"Hey, Hotch?" I looked up at his concerned face and my smile widened. 

"Yes?"

"Do you want to watch Doctor Who?" He grinned at me and nodded.

"Of course, Reid. Go get it started, and I'll bring you coffee." I complied, walking to the living room and putting the season thirteen disc in the DVD player. I sat down in the middle of the couch, and turned on the TV. Hotch walked in with a plate of donuts and two mugs of coffee balanced in his hands. I laughed and grabbed my mug from him, watching him set the plate on the small table in front of us. 

"Okay, I'm ready." He smiled and I pressed play, settling in to the couch. 

\----------

"I read the books." I told him suddenly. Neither of us had really spoken in five hours, too engrossed in the show, and my confession seemed to have startled him. 

"Did you like them?" He asked with a smile, and I nodded. "You should tell Rossi, then." He added. 

I gave him a confused look. "How did you know he gave them to me?" I questioned, and he laughed. 

"Because he gave them to all of us." That just confused me further. 

"Why would he...oh! I thought the writing style seemed familiar." I sighed and Hotch just smirked. 

"It's almost seven. Do you want to get a pizza?" He asked and I smiled, nodding.

"I'll go call it in. Pepperoni?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen to grab his phone. 

"And extra cheese!" I shouted and heard him laugh. He talked to someone for a few moments before hanging up and walking back in. He plopped down on the couch a little too close, and he knocked my shoulder. 

"Sorry." He apologized, but I shook my head.

"It's okay." He smiled at me and I returned it. 

"How's your neck doing?" A concerned look fluttered onto his face and I felt my face go warm. That seemed to be happening a lot today. 

"It's all right. It doesn't hurt as bad as yesterday. It helps to have a distraction." I murmured, and a large smile graced his face. 

"I'm glad." After a pause, he spoke again. "I'm sorry I was annoying you earlier. I'm not really used to this." 

I cocked my head, frowning. "What is 'this'?" I asked and he blushed, making me even more confused than before. 

"Uh, taking care of someone." He cleared his throat and my frown deepened. 

"Hotch, are you okay?" He nodded, but then jumped when there was a knock at the door. He stood up quickly, grabbed his wallet, and walked to the door. He paid and thanked the delivery guy before closing the door and sitting back down on the couch. He set the box down on the table and smiled at me as he opened it. 

"Huh." I muttered subconsciously. 

"What?"

"Sorry, it's nothing." I covered, but he didn't buy it, and prompted me to continue. "It's just... I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much." I admitted and he looked at me for a moment before replying. 

"It's easy with you, Reid." I blushed but smiled at him. He grabbed a piece of pizza, motioning for me to do the same. We ate in silence, eyes once again drawn to the screen. After two pieces I stood and left to wash my hands, seeing Hotch trailing behind me. We started washing our hands, and I flinched when water flew at my face. I scrunched up my nose and he laughed.

"I couldn't help it. I'm sorry." I glared at him, wiping off my face. 

"No you aren't." I grumbled, and he laughed. 

"You're right." He grinned and I just shook my head, smiling to myself. We went back to the living room and sat on the couch, going back to watching Doctor Who. I glanced at the clock and almost groaned when I saw that it was twenty after eight. Where did the time go? I swore it was seven a few minutes ago. 

\----------

(Hotch's POV)

I stretched my arm out on the back on the couch, and tried not to notice how Reid subconsciously shifted towards me as my fingers brushed his shoulder. The clock read nine and I yawned, settling in to the corner of the couch more. Reid caught my yawn, and let his head rest against my arm. Before I could register what I was doing, my hand was moving, fingers tracing up and down his shoulder. He let out a content sigh, and I saw his eyes flutter closed. My fingers trailed down his arm more and I felt the goosebumps on his skin, and it was then that I realized his teeth had been chattering. 

"Are you cold, Reid?" I asked softly, and he nodded, yawning again. I smiled and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch with my other hand, spreading it over us. He grabbed onto the blanket and pulled his feet up, curling into a ball. His head slipped onto my shoulder and my breath caught in my throat. His breathing slowed and I knew he was asleep. His hair fell into his eyes and his nose twitched. I smiled and brushed the lock behind his ear. He shifted closer to me, letting go of the blanket and grabbing onto my shirt instead. I tightened my grip on him and sighed. 

"Spencer Reid, what are you doing to me?" I mumbled, pulling him closer to me and closing my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were you expecting it? 
> 
> Hotch trying to take care of someone is so endearing, especially when it's Reid. 
> 
> There's a spark there, isn't there? Are they both starting to see each other differently, or are they just now starting to realize they have all along? Will anybody else?
> 
> How will Monday morning go? Will work be weird? How will they act? Why would Rossi write a secret spy series? 
> 
> PS: the ice spiders movie is real. It's cheesy but absolutely terrifying. (I'm the worlds biggest arachnophobe.)
> 
> It won't be too long until the next update. Feedback is always appreciated.


	8. NOT A CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an update on what's going on with me and this story.

Hey guys! 

I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. A LOT of things happened in my personal life and I just didn't have the time nor the creativity to write for this. 

However, in determined to get back into the swing of things, so I'm going to start writing for this again.  
It could be fast, or terribly slow, I'm not sure yet. 

But I promise I'll post a chapter as soon as I can. 

Thank you to all of those that have commented and subscribed, and stuck with me through all of this. 

I love you guys <3


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